Vehicles such as station wagons and sport utility vehicles often include multiple row seating. Seats in a front row, such as bucket seats or a bench seat, are typically mounted in a fixed attachment to a vehicle underbody. Seats in a second row also can include either separate bucket seats or a bench seat. If the vehicle includes a third row of seats, the seats in the second row are typically configured to allow access to the third row of seats. In a bucket seat configuration, first and second seats are separated by a center aisle that provides access to the third row of seats. In a bench seat configuration, at least a portion of the bench seat can be tumbled forwardly to allow access to the third row of seats.
Additionally, vehicles often include an option that allows all seats in the second row to be tumbled forward. This provides increased cargo space as needed. Thus, seats in the second row are typically not mounted in a fixed attachment to the vehicle underbody. Typically, seats in the second row have a front pivot mount and a rear striker/latch mount. An occupant selectively releases latches attached to the seats from strikers mounted to the vehicle underbody. This allows the seats to be pivoted forward to a tumbled position.
Traditionally, different seat attachment structures are required to accommodate different seating configurations in the second row. One type of seat attachment structure is used to mount bucket seats to the vehicle underbody and a second type of seat attachment structure is used to mount a bench seat to the vehicle underbody. This proliferates parts and increases cost, which is undesirable.
The bench seat configuration also provides additional mounting challenges. As discussed above, when a bench seat is used in the second row, a portion of the bench seat can be tumbled to provide access to the third row of seats without requiring the entire bench to be moved to a tumbled position. This is referred to as a 60/40 split bench seat. The split bench seat option provides seating for one additional occupant. The split bench seat includes a first seat portion positioned on one lateral vehicle side, a second seat portion positioned on an opposite lateral vehicle side, and a third seat portion positioned between the first and second seat portions and attached to the second seat portion. The first seat portion is split from the second and third seat portions and can be tumbled separately from the second and third seat portions to allow access to the third row.
One mounting challenge for the bench seat configuration concerns seat restraint mounting for the third seat portion. A seat restraint includes a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion. The shoulder belt portion is typically attached to a vehicle structure such as a side pillar, for example. In a bench seat configuration, there is no side pillar to support the shoulder belt portion for the third seat portion.
One solution has provided a shoulder belt mount to a vehicle roof above the third seat portion. This could adversely affect a driver's view and further does not provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Optionally, the shoulder belt portion could be mounted directly to the third seat portion at a seat back. In this configuration all seat loads would go directly through the seat to the vehicle underbody. This provides additional structural challenges, as the seat attachment structure must be strong enough to accommodate the increased seat loads.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a seat attachment structure that can be used for a variety of seating configurations and which can accommodate seating loads for seat integrated restraints (SIR), as well as providing a tumble feature.